


The Witch and the Dog Demon

by C_Storm



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:27:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_Storm/pseuds/C_Storm
Summary: She follows her instincts and harnesses powers beyond most people's imagination. Unfortunately, she is about to be punished for the crime of having something no one understands. Can she save herself? Or can she at least find out who to call for help?
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 30
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N I do not own Inuyasha.
> 
> So, I wrote the spell she is singing, and I recorded myself singing it (Yes, that is my voice). If you would like to listen to it you can find it here:  
> https://clyp.it/gppmgpn3
> 
> Please be aware I do not have professional recording equipment, I did this on my phone with a pair of crappy headphones. Please do not expect something ground breaking.

She had tried to be careful, had tried to keep the secret. Her cousin, Kikyou and herself had discovered their abilities when they were very young. Not even her mother or little brother knew. Kikyou had left the small village a few years ago saying there were safer places for a witch to live, but Kagome couldn’t abandon her mother. She needed to help take care of her family since her father had passed from the dreaded plague that wiped out so many of the villagers over a decade ago.

Now she was in a small prison cell, waiting for her death at the hands of the people she loved and cared for. She had been a healer training under Kaede, since she was 12. She knew all the medicinal herbs that grew in the area and how to combine them to make medicine for almost every sickness there was. And she discovered that if she used her power she could make them stronger. Not that she did that unless it was necessary. 

But somehow she had been in the forest singing to her herbs to help them to grow, and someone had seen her. She didn’t know who had run to the headman about the whole thing, it’s not like she didn’t sing constantly. She found that music was the most powerful way to harness her magic, and it was never noticeable unless she was exerting a lot of force. But there was a young mother in the village who had had 3 miscarriages so far, and she wanted a baby so badly. She just wanted to help. She knew the herbs wouldn’t be ready in time. She just figured that a little help to get them to bloom might be enough to save this woman’s baby and give her a chance at happiness.

Now she was going to be killed, by the very people she had struggled to help over the last several years. Unless there was a way to save herself? She thought back to all she had learned and studied. She thought long and hard trying to figure out a way out of this. She could hear heavy footsteps approaching, she wasn’t going to have much time now. She had glanced out the small window and saw the pyre they were preparing. Preparing to burn her alive. Tears fell from her eyes unbidden. She took a deep breath, she didn’t want to die, but she would not give them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt her. She needed to find a way out of this.

As the bar was lifted from the door she stood up tall and proud. She looked the young guard in the face, she knew this man. She had grown up with him, he even had tried to court her when she came of age a few years ago, but she knew they hadn’t been a good match.

“Kagome, I’m sorry. I know what they're saying can’t be true. But I can’t go against the headman. Please come with me.”

She smiled sadly at him, “Hojo, it’s okay. I know you are bound to your fate. I will do what I must to change mine.”

She stood and followed him down the passageway, he was holding a rope that was wrapped around her middle and had her arms bound together behind her back. Apparently they had believed that witches use their hands to cast spells. She however had no need of it, she began to hum a tune to herself, and before she knew what was happening a song was forming on her lips. Barely spoken under her breath. The lyrics sounded foreign even to herself.

“Come unto me my dark Angel.   
Come unto me, my fire born.   
Save me from the heat and flames.   
Protect me from their unjust scorn.   
Take from me what you will,   
And remove me from this place.   
Allow me to cast my unworthy gaze,   
Upon mine savior’s face.”

Hojo knew he should have stopped her singing, but witches couldn’t perform magic without their hands, they had to use ritualistic gestures and powerful circles. She was just trying to give herself a bit of peace. This young beauty who he had been in love with most of his life, was no more a witch than he was a Kappa. She was too good, too sweet to hurt anyone. There was no way she was a witch. Witches were deformed from the evil inside their hearts and Kagome was beautiful. Witches were cruel and vindictive and Kagome was kind and caring. She had treated everyone in the village, there was no way that evil had rooted itself into her heart. Her soul was too pure.

She arrived at the pyre and Hojo was staring at her entranced as she sang quietly. There was another guardsman who she didn’t know as wel who tied her to the post in the center of the pyre. She continued to sing quietly and the guard backhanded her hard.

“Shut up, Witch! You will die for your sins today!”

She looked him in the eyes and spoke harsh and low, “And what are my sins other than using powers to save those who needed saving?”

He spit in her face and stepped away from the pyre. “My Lord, she is ready to burn. Shall I light the fire, or is there someone else she has harmed who would take the torch?”

The headman shook his head, “No, You may light it. The sooner her evil is out of our midst the better it will be for all of us.”

The man grabbed an unlit torch from the bucket of pitch and struck flint to steel to catch it. Kagome began singing again, and closed her eyes as if in prayer. She could feel the words come to her with such power. She needed this to work. She didn’t know who she was asking for help, only that she needed help. Badly.

“Come unto me, My sweet angel.   
Please follow the wind to find me.   
Let not their hatred control the powers   
That we cannot see.   
Save me from the heat and flames,   
Protect me from their unjust scorn.   
Come unto me my Angel of flames…”

Suddenly the torch was lit, and he smiled evilly at her before throwing the torch into the wood gathered at her feet. She struggled to finish the song, knowing it would be her only chance but the smoke was rising around her and burning her lungs. She struggled not to cough, as she knew if the spell was interrupted something could go horribly wrong. 

“Please come unto me, My fire born”

She tried to stay calm, maintain her breathing but the smoke was rolling over her in black tendrils and she felt her chest burning. She closed her eyes and felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she felt a new heat, searing into her. Her bindings were cut and a hand was wrapped around her mouth, the cloth hot against her, blocking the smoke. She opened her eyes and saw gold. The eyes staring at her resembled a soft honey freshly collected from bees, and she could see a slight smirk. She tried to focus on the being before her but her head was throbbing from the smoke.

He lifted her up easily and leapt away from the fire landing on the ground in front of the headman.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you, if you play with fire you’re likely to get burned.” He used his left arm to anchor her to him, and his right hand he slashed towards the pyre and the flames fell and began to spread across the square. 

She began coughing and his attention was drawn to her instantly. It had been centuries since someone had been powerful enough to summon him, and she hadn’t even used a summoning circle. What the hell was he doing here? He lifted her in his arms one arm around her shoulders the other beneath her knees and took off into the forest.

“Don’t you die on me you stupid girl!”

She was gasping and coughing trying to get her breath, but the air was too thin up so high. She finally felt him drop to the ground and she struggled to catch her breath. She glanced around and recognized where they were immediately. She had grown up in the forest and had been foraging for herbs for many years here. She took a few deep breaths and noticed her lungs were still burning. She stood carefully her eyes scanning for a familiar plant that helped with respiratory issues. It was normally brewed as a tea, but chewing on the leaves and swallowing the juices mixed with saliva would have to work for now. Once her eyes alighted on the plant she began to scurry over to it, looking forward to diminishing the ache in her chest, but a firm grip on her arm stopped her forward momentum and she shrunk down instinctively. I mean who could blame her after the day she’d had.

“Fuck woman! Why would I try to hurt ya after I just saved ya! Besides if ya get hurt then the contract is worthless.”

She lifted her head from her other arm and saw the golden eyes she had seen in the fire. They were real and they were staring at her. She had to question if her eyes had been damaged as well because she could see a fang poking from the one corner of his mouth, and his lips were drawn up in a smirk. This was the angel she summoned? He was beautiful. His tan skin, flowing white hair, deep honey eyes, and two little triangles on top of his head. Dog ears? She needed to get her throat to calm down so she could thank him properly and figure out what she owed him. You can’t summon a creature for free. She dared not speak before then or she feared that anything she said might be used against her in the contract.

Her throat was dry and she knew speaking was going to hurt so she pointed to the plant with the arm he wasn’t holding and he looked in the direction of her outstretched arm. 

As he followed where she was pointing he became more confused. There was nothing there but forest, what the fuck did this wench want?

He lifted her carefully and moved in the direction she was pointing until she held both hands up to stop him. He set her down. Even more puzzled than before and she knelt down and pulled a few leaves off of a spiky plant. He watched as she carefully stripped as many of the spikes off as she could then put the leaf in her mouth chewing slowly. Then she looked back up at him and smiled.

He was in trouble, whoever this witch was, she was powerful. He’d never felt so drawn to someone before in his life. She lifted her right hand and formed a semi circle and lifted it to her lips. She needed a drink. Of course, he was an idiot. She had been in a fire, she couldn’t speak. He lifted his nose to the air and he could smell fresh water not far away. He carried her there faster than she was ready for, but she didn’t scream. Either her throat hurt worse he realized or she was much braver than he would have guessed.

She filled her hands several times. Was she humming as she filled her hands? And drank her fill then she spit out the leaves and released a long sigh, followed by a gentle clearing of her throat. Then her deep blue eyes landed on him again. He felt his heart almost skip a beat. She was far too powerful.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Has Kagome managed to walk out of the fire and into the frying pan? We'll have to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Inuyasha.  
> If you would like to hear this spell she is singing here is a recording of myself singing it. I wrote the song to this tune.  
> https://clyp.it/c3jomqk4

“My name is Kagome, thank you for coming to save me. I have to admit I’ve never performed a summoning spell before and I didn’t actually know who I was summoning. What is your normal cost for saving a maiden? If it’s not something I am capable of is there a way to barter?”

He shook his head in disbelief. This woman had never summoned before and she managed to summon him? Spell casters spent years to be able to summon him and most of them couldn’t withstand the power needed. Who was this witch? How did she get him to this plane of existence?

“There is no bartering. I get to choose my payment. I don’t always choose immediately. First before I choose I need information. You said you have never summoned before, how did you call to me without a circle?”

She looked puzzled and he found himself getting irritated with that. “A circle? What kind of circle would I need? I mean, I-I think I missed something. Do you require a ring for summoning? I don't think I have one on me.” She began to pat her pockets in her apron and came up empty handed. “I’m sorry, I must seem so foolish. Did I do something wrong? I am sorry I didn’t have a ring, does it have to be a certain material? I can make one for you now if you’d like.”

Before waiting for an answer she walked over to a willow tree and pulled a few small branches. She began to hum again and he could see the branches weaving together not just under her fingers but being weaved together with her power. She was imbuing it with power before his very eyes and using no other ingredients for spell casting. His eyes felt like they were likely to bug out of his head, and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It only took a moment and she returned to his side. 

“I’m sorry Angel. Will this work?” She held out the freshly woven ring to him, and her words dawned on him.

“Angel? What the fuck makes you think that I am an angel?”

Her eyes went wide and she dropped to the forest floor prostrating herself on her knees placing her head in the dirt, “I’m so sorry. I meant no disrespect. I wouldn’t dare ask for the name of a creature as powerful as you. I only called you that because that was what I summoned in my spell. Please forgive me. What shall I call you?”

He could hear her labored breathing, the dirt doing more damage to her already aching lungs. He grabbed her arm and lifted her back to her feet, “Knock it off. I ain’t no angel. I’m a demon. Who were ya trying to summon back there?”

Her eyes were wide, “I summoned a demon? But I was told demons would only save you if you gave them your soul. Does that mean I am destined to die today no matter what?”

He couldn’t wrap his head around this woman, she was strong enough to summon him but not strong enough to protect herself? It made no sense. In order to summon him, she should have been a powerful caster with years of studying, but she barely seemed to know what she was doing. Was she just lucky and somehow harnessed power from somewhere else?

“What did you do to summon me? Obviously you didn’t use the same technique everyone else does. You didn’t harness energy from the necessary ingredients typically used. How did you summon me?”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t actually remember the words I used. I just knew my heart would give me what I needed to say. It always has. So I sang the words that came and then you showed up. I wasn’t trying to summon anyone in particular. As I said I’ve never summoned anyone or anything before. I was just afraid. So I called for help.”

“Keh.” She was lying, she had to be. No one could summon him so easily. He was the son of the Lord of the West. He couldn’t be accidentally summoned. There was no way she was that powerful.

“Wait a minute. You didn’t even know the spell, you just started singing, and you summoned me? You’re full of shit. No mere mortal can summon me. I am Inuyasha. I am more powerful than the lowly creatures that are so easily called forth. You had to have seen the spell written down before and it must have come to you. Either that or it wasn’t truly you who summoned me. So which is it, Witch?”

Her eyes were afire, and he couldn’t help but think he would enjoy the flames. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I have never seen any spells written down. You act as if I have been trained in this. I don’t have a teacher or something. I only know to follow my instincts. And if there was someone else who summoned you, you would have known it wouldn’t you? I doubt if you are so great that you would make a mistake like that! Maybe you aren’t as powerful as you think, if that’s the case.”

His smirk turned into a frightful grin, and he saw her realize that she was, indeed, fighting with a demon. A demon to whom she already owed a debt.

She cast her eyes downward, she had hoped her spell would save her, she even asked for an angel to come and rescue her, but somehow she had messed it up. This type of thing has never happened to her before. Her spells always worked. She had never had any formal training, but her heart and her instincts led her well.

“I am more than powerful, witch. I could gut you easily, but that won’t get me your soul. Besides not all demons eat souls. I’m not an incubus. I am a demon, I can eat anything I want. Including flesh, entrails, and other organs. I will decide what you owe me when I am ready. Now, I said I wanted information. I am tired of your lies. If you decide to keep toying with me, then I will find your coven and destroy them all while you are forced to watch. I know a witch’s coven is closer than her family. I know that it would destroy you to see them killed all because you didn’t want to tell the truth. So let’s try again. How did you summon me? Think back, hard. There is no way that you just made up a spell and it called me forth from my 50 year slumber.”

She stared into his eyes, trying to figure out how to get him to believe her. She had no coven, only her mother and brother were in the village with her, and she couldn’t even go back there now. She had no one, and she wasn’t even lying. How could she convince him? She was thinking so deeply she didn’t realize she was humming softly. She was even more surprised when words began to flow.

“To know I speak the truth  
See my power with thine own eyes.   
For nothing I’ve said rings false  
And I have spoken no lies.  
If you choose not to believe  
Then you have failed to see  
The power I bear  
The truth I declare.  
Don’t force your blindness on me.  
If still you’re unwilling to look  
Then I will give you a treat.  
I’ll show you an example of what I can do  
If you’ll just have a seat.”

His body locked up, somehow this witch was able to control him. She was somehow able to subdue him! It took only a brief moment until he felt his body plummet to the dirt and he couldn’t manage to lift himself from the ground.

Then she was at his side, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened. I was trying to think of a way to prove to you I wasn’t lying, I-I-I’m so sorry. The second she laid her hand upon his arm the spell faded and he leapt to his feet. This witch was more powerful than he had given her credit for and that was saying something.

“Damn witch, if you could do that, why the fuck did you need my help back there?”

She stared at him stunned, “I couldn't have done something like that? I couldn’t have. There is no way I couldn’t have stopped them all. I-I couldn’t” her voice seemed to fade into a whisper as she continued trying to figure out what had happened.

“Keh. Stupid Witch. If ya’d stop being paranoid ya could’ve. If ya have the power to summon me without creating a summoner’s circle and to subjugate me to your word, then ya could’ve stopped them from killin' ya. So ya definitely weren’t lying. I don’t know how ya managed it, but I’m impressed. You’re a regular li’l Spitfire ain'tcha?”

She looked flabbergasted at him, what was he talking about? “I already gave you the circle you needed, is that not right? Does it need to be made of something stronger? I can do that, but I didn’t have material. Should it be metal or something? I mean I usually use nature with my powers but if you need something else, then I will do what I need to do.”

“You’re a dummy, most spell casters need to draw a summoning circle, actually to summon me it’s usually drawn in blood, then they place the objects of power within the circle to activate the spell and call me. Somehow you called me without using a circle. I don’t need this stupid thing.” With that he tossed it back to her and she caught it easily.

“A circle drawn in blood? My blood? Or someone else’s?”

He glanced at her, “It depends on what ya wanted from me. If it was to kill someone then their blood would be better, but to save ya your blood would’ve worked fine. The thing is though, ya didn’t use it, and ya didn’t even need to call me. Ya could’ve just saved yerself and saved me a buncha trouble.”

Her head dropped and he couldn’t figure out why her sadness was bothering him. He was a demon, and humans didn’t matter to him. “I’m sorry I caused you trouble, Inuyasha.”

The sound of his name on her lips sent a fire through him. He wanted to, no he needed to hear it again. This desire, no this need was so strong he had to stop himself from dropping onto his knees before her. “What was that, Witch? I couldn’t hear ya.” His voice was gruff and barely restrained.

Her voice was still soft, but a bit stronger than the previous time, “I said I’m sorry. Now what do you want of me, so I can end this debt and find somewhere to go. I am no longer safe in my village.”

Dammit, she hadn’t said it again, he thought for sure that would work. “I told ya, I get to choose. I haven’t made up my mind yet so I guess I’ll just stick around until I do.”

Her head snapped up and she stared at him, “Stick around? I’ll never be able to hide with you around. I’ll be chased out of every village I go to. I mean, that’s likely to happen anyway once word spreads of my actions in my village, but still. I’ll be in danger.”

“Keh, I can’t let that happen, or else I’ll never get my payment. So let’s say I help ya find somewhere safe to settle down and then I’ll decide.”

She shook her head, “No, I fear that will put me much deeper in your debt. I would rather keep myself safe. But you may join me so long as you keep out of sight. I imagine I won’t be living in a village, but likely have to find somewhere in the forest. You don’t have to help me.”

She began walking away from the only home she had ever known. The demon Inuyasha trailing behind her. Bounding up into the branches as if realizing he was finally free to do so.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters herein.

Inuyasha kept her in his sights. If she was powerful enough, then perhaps she was the one he needed. He wouldn’t eat her soul. No, there was something much more important that could save him. He would need to eat her heart. The heart of a witch as powerful as her would be enough to erase his curse. He would be able to take his true place, and no longer be stuck in the hell he lived in. Her heart would free him from his prison.

He couldn’t hold back the grin. This was the perfect opportunity.

Kagome walked deep in the forest, searching for a rock formation. SHe had come across it years ago when she had gotten turned around. It was at least a 2 days walk from her village, but she knew Inuyasha had brought them more than half that distance. Unfortunately, it was getting dark. She wouldn’t be able to travel as well in the dark, she could fall and get hurt, not to mention the creatures that lived in the woods might hear her fumbling around. It was far too dangerous.

It was at that moment her stomach let out a loud grumble and though she had been trying to ignore it; she knew she would need to eat soon. She hadn’t been fed while in the jail and she hadn’t eaten dinner the night before because she wanted to go find the plant for her friend Yuka. She was the one who was expecting. She needed the plant, but now it was too late. Hopefully Kaede would find the plant, even though it was out of season. Maybe she could still help her friend, maybe her work wouldn't go to waste.

She stopped and leaned her back against a tree, resigning herself to take a break. Her lungs were still aching, even after the nettle plant, and it had been an exhausting day. It wasn’t like she had slept well in that damned jail cell the night before either. She was tired, hungry, and more than a little overwhelmed. What was she going to do? She needed to get to that rock formation. There was a little cave there, and she knew it was her best bet at staying out of the elements. She focused her eyes in the darkness and saw 2 glowing golden eyes staring at her from the brush. She was terrified! She thrust her arms in front of herself, closed her eyes, and started humming. 

Inuyasha watched as a pink barrier surrounded her. She could create a barrier? Seriously, why did she fucking bother summoning him? She was perfectly capable of laying waste to that entire village! He approached slowly and he could feel the power radiating off of her; she had no need of him. Did she really not realize how powerful she was?

“Hey, witch. It’s just me. I ain’t gonna hurt ya.” ‘Yet.’ Her eyes opened, and the barrier vanished. He could see relief in her eyes for a second. What the hell? No one has ever been happy to see him. Then it was quickly replaced by anger.

“My name isn’t Witch. It is Kagome! Ka-Go-me! Get it right! Inuyasha!”

He smiled at the sound of his name falling from her lips again, he definitely enjoyed seeing her all mad. This was going to be fun. “Listen up, Witch. I don’t care what your name is. I don’t owe you anything.”

As he stressed the word ‘owe’ her eyes bugged and then her head fell. She owed him a debt and she had to repay him. If she kept treating him so rudely there was no way he wouldn’t take her soul. She was likely to die at his hands, what a foolish mistake. To cast a spell to save herself only to die because she cast a spell to save herself. What kind of karma was this anyway?

She stood up and began walking again, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in her stomach. After the third time it grumbled Inuyasha scoffed and fell back a bit. Maybe he thought she was pathetic since she couldn’t even save herself. She knew by taking one glance at the powerful demon he would never go hungry, he could easily take care of himself. He was strong, and he had no right to look as attractive as he did. Especially when he was planning on killing her! It wasn’t even fair!

As she walked she recognized a tree, it was not common out here, but in the summer it did grow a fruit. She didn’t know the name of it, but she knew it was safe to eat. She carefully approached and gently touched a branch. She could feel the life in it. It thrummed warm and innocent beneath her hand. She touched one flower bud and hummed softly. It only took a moment before the bud blossomed into a beautiful flower, then it slowly shifted. Progressing through its life cycle faster than should have been possible. It grew into a large healthy piece of fruit and she plucked it gently.

“Thank you.” She said before removing her hand from the branch and then she stepped away and sunk her teeth into the flesh of the fruit. Just as she took a bite Inuyasha returned with a leaf full of berries. “Oh, well here. Take these anyway. I can’t letcha die or I won’t be able to collect, ya know?”

She smiled, softly. Then she tore the piece of fruit in half and offered him the half she hadn’t bitten, “Here. we can split it all. There's no reason for you to be hungry either, Inuyasha.”

She was offering him her food? Did the wench not know anything?

“Keh, I’m not like you weak humans. I don’t need to eat as often as you do. Just eat it. By the sound of your stomach you hadn’t eaten anything in a while.”

She nodded a small nod, “That’s true, but I can get more. Now come on. It’s impolite to eat in front of others.”

He let out another soft, “keh” but took the offered fruit and took a bite. It tasted sweet. It was something he’d never had before. He watched her reach over and snag a few berries from the leaf and turn and walk away. What was this woman, and what kind of spell had she cast over him? He had never felt like this before, so he knew it had to be a very powerful magic.

Kagome stumbled again, this time her foot had caught on a root. It was too dark to see, and she was so tired her feet practically dragged. She had to find that stupid cave! She couldn’t stop out here in the open. She could be attacked. Even if Inuyasha said he couldn’t let anything happen to her, she didn’t want to take the chance. He was a demon. A demon who likely planned on killing her. But if he did, what was the point of waiting? Did he like to torture his victims first? Did he want to help her regain her strength so she would suffer longer? She’d heard tales of regional lords doing things like that. He was older and more powerful than she. He was certain to know many ways to torture a young girl who had barely ever left her village. She was doomed no matter what, wasn’t she?

Inuyasha scooped her up after she stumbled and actually face planted into the dirt.  
“Are ya just an idiot, witch? Your body is obviously exhausted. Why not stop for the night, it’s not like you’re gonna get where you're going before daybreak? Besides, if I have to hear you grumble about skinning your knees one more time, I’m likely to rip your legs off.”

Her eyes were wide, and she knew she should be frightened, but something stopped her. “There’s a cave, I don’t know how much further, but that’s where I was going. I was hoping to at least make it there safely. I know the next village is a couple days through the forest, but I figured a safe night sleep would help. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you could hear me.”

He wiggled his ears as if to explain. “I’m a dog demon. I hear everything. Now quit apologizing. Do ya know the way to the cave? I can get ya there in no time.”

She sighed deeply. She was in the arms of a strong, handsome, and brave demon who was more than likely going to kill her. And she didn’t even know what to do. She pointed the way to the cave, and he took off like a bullet. Watching the ground fly beneath them, she was positive there was no way she could ever outrun him. So even if she had a day head start, she was doomed. She stared up at his ears, oscillating around, picking up every sound in the forest. She wasn’t sure what had come over her, but she could see her own fingers gently reaching up from their place around his neck to gently rub the appendage. Her fingers touched them for only a moment before his eyes went wide and he pulled his head away from her, tearing the ear from her fingers.

“What the hell are ya doing?”

Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks were on fire. She just touched him. Oh Kami, she just stroked his ears! They were soft and velvety and so warm. She wanted to do it again, but the look on his face was so full of anger. She ducked her head in absolute embarrassment. What had she been thinking? Well, the answer was obvious; she hadn’t been thinking. But she still shouldn’t have done that!

“I’m sorry, Inuyasha. I-I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t have done that. Please forgive me.” He was definitely going to kill her. She had molested him. She had touched him without permission, and of course he was angry. He was a mighty demon, and she tried to pet him like he was a dog. She wished he would just drop her when he took off. A drop from this height would surely kill her and end her embarrassment.

“Keh. Calm down. If ya start crying, I will fuckin’ drop ya!”

She let out a little squeak and gripped him a little tighter. Okay, so she didn’t want to be embarrassed, but she really didn't want to die. I mean, who wanted to die?

She felt a chuckle reverberate through his chest against her, and she glanced up and saw a smirk. “Stupid Witch.”

They arrived at the cave a few minutes later. He let her down gently, and she approached cautiously. Sure, it had been empty last time, but there was no guarantee that something hadn’t moved in. As she approached the opening he stepped up behind her and gave a long sniff.

“It’s vacant. Now get some damn sleep.”

She went inside and snuggled in the corner. It was cold, but she knew she didn’t have the energy to build a fire. She curled herself in a ball and was asleep in minutes.

Inuyasha leapt into a tree close to the opening to keep a lookout. It had been ages since he had felt the air of this world on his face, and running had felt wonderful. He needed to break the curse so that he would be free. He was tired of being trapped, waiting to be summoned. He needed to take her heart so that he could become a full demon.

Kagome awoke when the light first began filtering in through the cave entrance. It was so bright outside. She looked around confused for a minute until the memory of the previous day returned. All of that had really happened; it wasn’t some bizarre dream. She was traveling with a drop dead gorgeous demon, and she could never go home. Where could she go? Would anywhere ever be safe? She stretched her hands high above her head and stood up. Her body was sore after the previous day’s excitement and then sleeping on the cold, hard ground. But she needed to keep going.

She exited the cave and found Inuyasha there staring at her, “Fucking finally! I thought you were gonna sleep the whole damn day away!”

She looked at the sun's position; it was still rather early; the sun had barely been up an hour.

“Inuyasha, how long have you been awake?”

“Feh, I don’t need as much sleep as you weak humans.”

With That he marched off back through the forest, continuing in the general direction they had been traveling yesterday.

She followed behind him, trying to keep up, but his legs were longer than hers.

He slowed down a bit after the first half hour, getting tired of stopping and waiting for her. But he still walked ahead of her, as if he knew where he was going. Not that he did exactly, but he figured eventually they would exit the forest.

As she walked she hummed, not really paying attention to it. It was something she always did. Her power flowed freely without her realizing it. He was a little ways ahead of her when he felt something snag his sleeve. He looked and saw nothing, but he knew he had felt it. He stopped, glancing around, and there was nothing that could have grabbed him, but he knew there was something there. Kagome caught up to him and reached to his sleeve where he had felt something. 

“Inuyasha, there’s a hair.” as she picked it up from his sleeve she saw it twitch in her hand and she was now bleeding from where the hair had sliced her. 

“It moved!”

He grasped her hand, and it felt like electricity shot through her. “What the hell?!”

She looked at him, and he seemed more confused than when she accidentally subdued him. 

“The hair moved, and it somehow cut me.”

“Baka, there is no hair, what the hell did you do?”

She was ready to scream at him, “What do you mean, what did I do? There’s a piece of hair here and it cut me. It was on your sleeve.” 

She tried to let go of the hair, but now it seemed to be wrapping tighter around her hand. It hurt. How did a little piece of hair actually hurt her? As she tried to shake it free, it dug in deeper and now she was bleeding worse. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest. What was this thing?

Inuyasha was staring at her hand. There was nothing there, but he could see the cut appear as if by magic. There was another witch here. There had to be. He took a deep sniff, but he couldn’t smell anything. He looked back to her hand and there was a bead of blood running down what now looked to be a blood red thread. Of course, he couldn’t see the hair, but he could see the blood coating it! He made a quick slice through it and she sighed in relief.

“So you can see it, I was getting worried I was losing my mind.”

“Keh, I can’t see what you saw, but I could see your blood. Is it gone?”

She smiled sadly and wrapped one hand around the other to stop the bleeding. “Thank you again, Inuyasha. At the rate we’re going, I'm going to have to be your servant for life to make up for it all.”

He felt himself gulp. Hard. ‘Servant for life’? Was that something they did in this time period? He knew he couldn’t actually stay here. He would have to return to his prison where he has laid dormant all these years, but a very big part of him wanted to stay and enjoy the life that was here. Hell, if he could make it part of his contract with her then he could stay, right? That would be part of the deal and his asshole brother wouldn’t be able to stop him. He knew most hanyou were killed as infants, but his father had tried so hard to protect him. Then when his brother found him, he decided the best thing he could do was to set him up as a summoned demon in order for him to build up a reputation and strength. It had kept him safe and alive over the last few centuries, but he missed seeing the real world.

“Whaddya mean, ‘servant for life’?” His voice was gruff and betrayed more emotion than he wanted it to.

She locked eyes with him and he felt he could drown in those deep blue crystal eyes.

“I-ummm-I just kind of meant it as a joke, unless of course that’s what you’d want. I used to see children play around and the one who lost had to act as the winner’s butler or servant and do what they said for a day. I just meant that since you’ve helped me so many times I was going to owe you a lot, but I suppose…” her voice got so quiet that if it weren’t for his exceptional hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her, “since you’re probably already taking my soul, that I couldn’t owe you much more.” She took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh, “I guess I traded one death for another…” Then she shook her head, “Nevermind. I guess I was lost in thought for a minute there.”

She tried to smile at him, thinking he hadn’t heard her, but it was a watery smile at best. Fuck, for the first time in centuries of being summoned, he didn’t want to kill the dumb witch who summoned him. Maybe he could just take something simple and let the baka live. Then he felt something wrap around his throat and he was yanked against a tree. His arms were bound in front of him, but there was no rope visible. Kagome rushed to him, pulling at something he couldn’t see. Her fingers were coming away bloody and the scent of her blood made him sick to his stomach.

He pushed her away from him and pulled whatever was holding him as hard as he could. He felt the line go slack, and he sucked a deep breath into his lungs and coughed it out.

“Inuyasha, are you okay? The hair, there’s so much of it! I don’t understand where it came from, but it’s coming from the east. Should we go the other way?”

“Keh, don’t be stupid. There’s no way I’m gonna let someone make me run away. You can hide if ya want, but I am going after it.” He took off at a full speed run, leaving the young mortal near the cave. He was hoping she would hide there until he returned, but if not, he would go and find her after he killed whoever had attacked him. As he was running, he could sense a demon nearby. It was coming right for him, then it wasn’t. He was so fucking confused. He felt it coming towards him, then it seemed to run right past him. He turned around as it dawned on him. Her screams rent the air around him. It wasn’t after him. It was after her.

He sped back towards where he left her and found her gone. Her scent was mixed in with blood and the scent of another demon. He followed as quickly as he could. He had to save her.

Kagome had decided to huddle in the cave until Inuyasha returned. She was going to go with him, but there was no way she would've been able to keep up with him at his full speed. He was gone before she could even ask to join him. As she sat there huddled against the wall trying to look as small as possible she felt something coming at her. She closed her eyes and tried to form a barrier, but she didn’t realize the hair was already around her. It yanked her up from the ground and she smacked her head on the cave wall, trying to fight. Blackness took her over instantly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters.
> 
> Listen to the song here: https://clyp.it/pa1tedsz

She woke up within a few minutes, and she was bound to a pole with a huge amount of hair. It wrapped around her like a rope and if she pulled at it; it tore through her skin. She stopped fighting quickly enough. Inuyasha showed up rather swiftly, but at his arrival she saw hair shoot out from what looked like a giant hairball. It wrapped around him and yanked him up until he was dangling above the ground.

Then a beautiful woman stepped out from the ball. She had black hair in a bob and wore a very short dress that showed off all of her assets. She held a sword in her hand and she walked along the hairs as if they were a tightrope.

“Well, hello there. I am Yura of the hair. And I know who you are. The half-demon Inuyasha. I see you decided to come save your new little Master. I don’t know what you think you’ll be able to do, though. Half demon, half power.”

As these words came Inuyasha began growling viciously. Kagome had no idea what the woman meant by that, nor did she care. Inuyasha’s wrists and ankles where he was bound were bleeding and dripping all over the ground. She had to do something.

A soft song came from her lips and she sang as loud as she could as her instincts instructed.

“You have stolen their life forces  
And stashed them in your lair.  
Cut down entire families  
And left without a care.  
You don’t deserve our mercy  
And I shall not give it  
Like you destroyed their bodies  
I will destroy your spirit”

Yura’s hair ball slowly started to dissolve, as if acid had been poured upon it. Her eyes left Inuyasha and landed on Kagome, “You little witch! How dare you destroy my lair! Stop casting your spell, or I shall eat your soul!”

Inuyasha couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. The distraction was perfect, then. The hair around his arms and legs went slack enough for him to slash at her back. She fell to the ground for a moment, then swung her sword at his face. It left a deep, even cut across his cheek. Then the hair went taut again, and he was yanked back to a dangling position.

“Hey bitch, you would do better to pay attention to me. Don’t let some weak human distract ya.”

She scoffed in response, “Oh please. You and I both know that as a half demon you aren’t powerful enough to stop me. She however needs to die. Or else I won’t be able to absorb her soul and add it to my power. Spellcasters' souls always fill me up better, though your powers won’t be wasted, I assure you. Now stay there like a good puppy and I will dispatch her first.”

As she turned back towards Kagome her song had come to a crescendo. Her eyes were open wide and the power she was emitting was enough to stop Inuyasha from breathing for a minute. The pink light that surrounded her was nearly blinding!

“Stop that now!” Yura’s voice sounded panicked, and Kagome didn’t seem to hesitate to continue. The hair wrapped around her seemed to burn away and she fell to the ground with a soft thud. Her singing only stopped for a minute as the words returned even more powerful. 

“You have such a pretty face  
But such an ugly soul  
For the evil you have wrought  
You now must pay the toll”

Yura’s lair was dissolving into a puddle at her words and after a moment only a single red skull remained. Yura struck at Kagome with the sword but it couldn’t touch her anymore than her strands of hair could. Kagome knelt and picked up the skull, and staring at Yura she wrapped her hands around it and continued to sing.

“The people you have slain  
The lives you have destroyed  
For them you have to pay  
I’ll send you to the void.”

Pink light engulfed Kagome’s hands and the skull slowly turned to dust in her hands. Yura’s hair that was wrapped around Inuyasha dissolved first, then Yura slowly disintegrated away. Her dust scattered to the wind. 

Kagome took a deep breath and smiled softly at Inuyasha. He was a little more than nervous after seeing the power she really was capable of, but at her soft smile he breathed easier. Then she fell. As if she had used up every bit of energy she had.

Inuyasha carefully lifted her and carried her back to the cave. He wrapped her in his own kimono to keep her warm and gathered wood for a fire. When she awoke she was warm and there was food cooking over a fire pit he had created. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. She debated on looking for him but she barely had the energy to sit up. She sat near the fire and rotated the meat he had been cooking and hoped he would come back. She knew he had been injured and she needed to dress his wounds.

When Inuyasha returned she was fast asleep. She had used more power that she ever had, and she definitely overdid it. Not that she didn’t have the power, even now he could feel her power working hard to heal and restore her, but she had never emitted such power before and her mortal body wasn’t accustomed to it. He kept the food hot after it was done cooking and went in search of something to use as a cup. She was gonna need water. He managed to find an old campsite, probably used by hunters, and found a place where they buried their trash. Apparently they had broken their dishes there, as he found a badly chipped bowl.

He took it back to the cave and dug up some natural clay to fix the cracks a bit and placed it on the fire pit. After an hour, he used his claws to fish it out and let it cool down. It wasn’t perfect and there were still chips and cracks, but when tested it held water just fine. He filled it and carried it back to the cave, keeping it in the shade so it would stay cool. It wasn’t long after that he heard her start to wake up.

She must have dozed back off for when she woke back up it was now dark and the fire had died down, mostly. The food was placed on a flat rock near the edge of the pit to keep it warm but not let it burn. Inuyasha was staring at her from the other side of the cave.

“You’re finally awake. I was starting to think you weren’t ever gonna wake up.”

She tried to sit up but got dizzy and toppled back over. The cave wasn’t spinning exactly, but her head was throbbing. He handed her a bowl of water. She felt too tired and sore to try to figure out where the bowl had come from, and instead just took a few sips. The water was cold and refreshing. Her throat felt like she had been eating sand, and the cold water quickly relieved the dry and scratchy feeling. After emptying the bowl, she was able to sit up a bit and keep her balance. She was leaning against the cave wall with her eyes closed when she could smell meat, and it was close. She opened her eyes and two clawed fingers were holding up a bite size hunk of meat to her lips.

“Ya need to eat. If ya don’t then ya’ll never get your energy back. I don’t wanna stay in this cave until I decide what I want from ya, so eat it.”

She looked up into his eyes and she was beyond surprised to see what looked like concern. Was he concerned because if she died he couldn’t collect, or was he concerned for a different reason. She felt this pull as she stared into his honey eyes. They seemed to shine with an appetite for life, and she wanted to curl up and stay there. She felt completely safe when staring into those eyes, which should have made no sense! He was going to eat her soul! But maybe she could live without her soul, if she could stay with him.

She was staring at him, she wasn’t afraid; she wasn’t threatened. There was a small smile on her lips as she stared at his eyes. What the hell was wrong with this woman? He was a demon. Not some pet you pick up in the forest. Why was she staring at him like that? Then she parted her lips and took the bite from his hand. Her lips were warm and soft, and he felt his heart pounding in his chest, and his cheeks were on fire. He couldn’t pull his eyes from her, and he saw a light pink dusting her cheeks as well. He pulled his hand away and carefully sliced another bite and proceeded to offer it to her. He wanted to feel her lips on him again. Something about this woman was driving him crazy.

She took the bite just as willingly and every time her lips brushed his fingers; he felt his heart start up again. They continued this back and forth until she shook her head when he went to slice another bite. She hadn’t spoken since she awoke, but he didn’t seem to mind. Her head was still pounding, and she felt that speaking would just take energy she didn’t think she had.

She leaned her head against the cool wall behind her and finally started to hum a soft tune. As she hummed her headache faded and her sore muscles felt like they were finally relaxing.

“So your powers definitely come from your singing. I ain’t never seen a witch do that before.”

Her eyes were wide and staring at him, her song lost on her lips.

“Have you met a lot of witches? I mean I only know one, she’s my cousin, but she moved away. She didn’t sing either. I actually don’t know how she harnessed her powers. I know she never sang, she said my singing got annoying, which is when I started humming instead. I suppose I did see her draw sigils in the dirt, but that was just playful, or so I thought.”

Inuyasha stared at her, “O’course I’ve met a lot a witches. They’ve been summoning me for centuries. Not only them, obviously warlocks, wizards, sorcerers, anyone who wanted something they couldn't get by natural means. Most of them couldn't take the power output and died, but the ones that lived were strong.” Not as strong as you, obviously. You didn’t even break a sweat. They all suffered for their summoning.

She was staring at the wall and debating on how much she could ask him. She knew she was already in debt enough, and adding to it seemed foolish. She didn't realize when she closed her eyes, but when she woke up the cave was dark and the fire was nothing but embers. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen, and she struggled to stand. She needed to go relieve herself, but she was more afraid of doing so not knowing where he was. The second she stepped out, he was in front of her.

“Where are you going?”

She kinda danced for a second, “I need some privacy. Sorry. Ill be right back.”  
Then she dashed into the brush. He had the intelligence not to follow her; it was obvious what she was doing. She returned in a minute and she looked much less bothered.

“Sorry for being rude, but it was getting very important. Why are you sleeping out here? The cave is big enough for both of us.”

He just stared at her. She wanted him to sleep in the same room as her? Who was this woman? Was she not right in the head? He was a demon. She really had no clue what that meant.

“Keh, I don’t need to sleep in there. I like to see the stars and smell the nature around me.”

She looked around them both and smiled as she heard the crickets gently chirping and the night creatures foraging.

“I can see what you mean. It’s peaceful. Do you mind if I stay out here a bit with you?”

“Keh, do as you like. Just don’t disappear.”

She found a soft spot of moss on the ground at the base of a tree and sat. The chirping crickets and soft breeze were so calming. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but when she awoke under the tree, the sunlight was just beginning to filter through the leaves. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. She tried to stand, but her body was so stiff from the energy she’d used and then sleeping on the ground. She tried to stand, but her muscles could barely support her weight and she toppled over. She tried to catch herself with her hands, but even her arms were too weak to keep her from falling.

“Keh, you are practically useless. How in the hell are you gonna survive?”

She shot her head up at his voice. He was carrying rabbits, killed and cleaned. That must’ve been what he fed her the night previous as well. She tried to smile, but it felt so weak to herself she could only imagine what it looked like to him. Her body was aching, and she felt like she barely had the strength to stand. Which was even more confusing since she had been strong enough to walk out here on her own last night. He walked into the cave, leaving her there to right herself. 

She struggled to get herself spun around, so she was sitting on her butt with the tree at her back. There were tears prickling at her eyes and she was trying so hard to fight them back. He had already made it clear what he thought of tears. He had threatened to drop her the first day, and she was sure his reaction would be equally as adamant today. She pulled her knees up to her chest and placed her forehead between them. She started humming a tune to herself, then the words came freely but quietly. The pain started to ease, but she still didn’t feel like she had any strength. The few tears that leaked out, she quickly wiped away. And hoped so hard he wouldn’t notice. After several minutes of singing, she fell asleep again.

She woke up when she was being lifted, but her mind was so far away she couldn’t focus on it right away. She was set back down and the fire was roaring softly. She could smell meat again, and she tried to open her eyes, but she didn’t have the strength.

“Just open up. Ya need to fucking eat. Like I said, I don’t wanna stay in this fucking cave forever. We need to be traveling by tomorrow.”

She opened her mouth a little, and he placed a bite in her mouth. She tried to chew but could barely manage even the strength for that. She felt weak and pathetic. She could smell meat waiting as he held another bite. But she couldn’t even chew this one. The meat tasted good, but moving her jaw was almost too much work. She felt a tear trickle down and she gasped at his growl. Her eyes burst open just in time to see him stalk out of the cave. She swallowed the piece of partially chewed meat and lay her head against the stone. What was wrong with her? She started humming again to try to regain her own strength, but it just seemed to leave her more tired.

Inuyasha stomped out of the cave. Why the fuck was she crying, and why the fuck did it bother him this much? Also, why the fuck was she getting weaker? She had plenty of power left, he could feel it swirling around her, but something was wrong. She should have been healing, but she seemed to be losing energy the more she healed herself. Unless her power didn’t allow her to heal herself. His ears perked up as he heard her humming again in the cave. He had to stop her.

Her head was resting on the wall, and every muscle in her body was feeling sore and tired, she knew humming to others usually healed them so she hummed the same tune she hummed when working with Kaede, but it didn’t seem to be helping at all. It started to feel like every note left a sour taste in her mouth. She was getting more and more tired the more she sang. Were her powers draining from trying to heal her? Is that why she was so exhausted?

Inuyasha stomped in and roughly covered her mouth with his hand.

“Stop fucking humming! Your magic can’t heal you. Every time you try, you are expending your own energy and stopping your body from healing. Just go to fucking sleep.” 

Her eyes were wide and he could feel her warm moist lips against his hand. What the fuck had he been thinking? He yanked his hand back and let out a “keh” to try to play it off, but he sat down on the other side of the fire and started shredding some of the rabbit meat with his claws. He had found a large leaf and was placing the shredded pieces in a pile, figuring it would be easier for her to swallow.

She was staring at him with wide blue eyes, and he refused to make eye contact. Focusing on his most recent task until he had a decent-sized pile. He carried it over to her and set it down, then left the cave. He couldn’t figure out what the hell he was feeling, and it was pissing him the fuck off.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly after he left. When she woke again, the fire was low, but she was still warm. She found she could move a lot easier than she had been able to before, and when she saw the leaf of rabbit meat sitting near the fire, her stomach grumbled. She quickly ate her fill, then went back to sleep against the wall. He must have been right. She couldn’t heal herself from this. She would have to let her body heal naturally.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome seems to be feeling a bit better, but as a very powerful witch so many people think she could be their next meal.. More trouble finds our pair, can Inuyasha keep her safe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I just had a fun idea and ran with it.

When she awoke in the morning, she was able to stand without falling and felt almost herself. She knew she wouldn’t be able to walk as fast as she normally could, but didn’t doubt her ability to start the trek again. But more than anything, she felt thirsty. It had been well over a day since she had had anything to drink. She went to the brush to relieve herself and was surprised to not see Inuyasha anywhere around. She tried to call him, but her throat was dry and her voice came out as a croak. She walked a little around the cave rocks looking for a freshwater source, but to no avail. She needed water, and soon.

She started circling the cave rocks gradually going further and further out trying to find any water. Her mouth was getting dry, and she was starting to get a headache. She knew it was going to be important soon. After a while, she had no way of knowing how long; she sat at the trunk of a tree to rest. Her body was throbbing, and she was already so tired. Her head hit the trunk behind her and she gazed up at the branches and leaves of the tree above her. Small little shoots were budding on the branches and would soon be big beautiful leaves.

She glanced around for a fruit tree. Maybe she could use a little of her power to get some fresh fruit. That way it would at least give her some fluid. Not a lot by any means, but she needed something. She just hoped it wouldn’t sap her strength too much. She stood and began searching for a tree she might recognize.

Inuyasha came back to the cave, and her scent had faded. As he tried to follow her scent, it seemed to be going in big circles. What the fuck was she doing? He tried to follow her scent, but he could barely make heads or tails of which way she was going. Why the fuck did she leave the cave? It’s not like he had been gone long. How in the fuck had she gotten so far? He began chasing her scent in earnest, knowing that as weak as she had been the night before, she wouldn’t be able to protect herself from anything.

As he started to get closer, he could hear the dumb bitch humming! Did she not learn fucking anything? She couldn’t heal herself! Why did she keep fucking trying?!

He stormed into a small clearing and found her singing to a tree, with a piece of fruit almost ripe in her hand. Her face was pale, and she looked exhausted. He couldn’t hide his irritation. He stomped over to her and yanked her away from the tree. Unfortunately, she was weaker than he realized because she toppled over right into his arms with an “oomph”.

“Why the fuck did you leave the cave?! And how in the hell did you get all the way out here?!”

She started looking around, as if she had no idea where ‘here’ was. Then her voice came out gravelly and raw. “I needed water.”

He stared at her hard. Fuck, he hadn’t even thought about it. He had brought her water, but that was 2 days ago. Of course she needed water. But he couldn’t let her get away with her stupid vanishing act. She put herself at risk!

“Why the fuck didn’t ya just ask me?!”

Her voice was still so raw, it made his throat hurt, “I was looking for you. I couldn’t find you anywhere. So I knew I needed to get some on my own.”

He looked around, and his eyes landed on the piece of fruit. He reached out and plucked it, handing it over, then lifted her up and took off towards the stream he had gotten her water at a couple days ago.

He arrived in minutes and she practically threw herself out of his arms and began drinking. After what seemed like several minutes, she lifted her head and met his gaze, “Thank you. I’m sorry. I tried to call for you, but my voice was too soft. You didn’t hear me. So I started trying to find water. But I don’t know where I am. I had no idea where to go. I finally realized that fruit would at least give me a bit of water, so I tried to grow a piece. It just took me a bit to find a tree I knew would produce juicy fruit that was safe to eat. I’m sorry I made you come find me.”

He felt like an idiot. He knew humans needed water, hell he needed water, just not as bad as she did. He knelt down and filled his hands and took a deep drink before standing back up, “Come on, we need to get back on the road. Are ya able to walk today, Witch?”

She glared at him for a second then stood up shaking her head slightly. Then a slight smile appeared, a devious smile he didn’t like.

“Yes, Demon. I can walk for a time.”

She really thought that was an insult? Like he fucking cared if she called him a demon.

“Good, let’s get moving.” He started walking, and she was able to keep up a bit better than the last time they travelled. Several hours passed and Kagome had shared the piece of fruit with him. But at this point she was making small talk and making sure not to use his name. When did it start bothering him? And why did it bother him? I mean, it’s not like many other people ever said his name. It’s not like anyone else even spoke to him unless to summon and make a request. But the way she said his name did things to him. And for some reason, he missed it. 

They stopped for a small lunch of leftover rabbit meat and berries they had found along the way. 

“So, Demon. How long has it been since you walked this plane of existence?”

It seemed so formal, not that she spoke it with any rudeness or hatred behind it. Her voice was still polite and caring, but she refused to use his name. 

“I dunno witch. Time doesn’t pass the same in the plane I live in. Probably 50 years or so. Why d’ya ask?”

She smiled sweetly, “Just curious. I have never left my home and I have only been alive for 17 years, so I don’t know nearly as much as I should. I figured learning more couldn’t hurt.”

“Keh, I think ya know enough for now. Ya managed to summon me, after all. That’s not an easy task.”

Her cheeks brightened with a light pink and he realized he had actually been way too nice to a witch who called him to use him. Okay, she hadn’t wanted to use him. She just needed help, but she didn’t care who she had summoned. It was still a selfish thing to do. Okay, it’s not like she thought she had a choice. But she easily could have solved her problems on her own. Not that she seemed to grasp her own abilities at all. She clearly had never been trained. Maybe that’s what she really needed to do. Find a coven and get real training. Although most covens did not easily accept outsiders. Especially ones that were already adults. But with her powers, she could likely find one that would take her in.

Wait a minute. What the fuck was wrong with him? He was going to eat her heart. She wasn’t going to need a coven or training. She was going to help him become a full demon. She was going to help him fulfill his greatest desire. She called him to save her. It was only fair that he get what he wanted. She was saved without killing anyone in her village, and now she would save him. Although she had saved them both once already with the stupid Demon with the damn hair. Who knew she had that kind of spunk in her? He looked up and realized her lips were moving. Fuck, she had been talking. What the hell was she saying?

“- nightfall? “

He had no idea what she had been talking about and had no idea how to answer her. 

“Keh”

She just blinked and shook her head. Wow, it worked. She sat there in silence and he was wondering what she had been saying. But he didn’t want to tell her he hadn’t been paying attention. It likely wasn't too important. This witch never shut up, and she talked about everything.

Kagome closed her eyes and leaned back, feeling the sunlight dappling through the trees and onto her cheeks. She could tell her trick was working. He was getting frustrated that she hadn't said his name. His shoulders were more tense now, and she was trying to see how far she could push him before he would learn his lesson and call her by her name. It was getting frustrating. But it seemed like he had just buckled down and stayed the course. She was tenacious, though. She could and would outlast him. 

“So, demon. How long shall we relax? I know the village is still a ways away, do you think we’ll get there by nightfall?”

He looked at her so puzzled, then let out a “keh” as if that answered all the questions she could ever ask. It might have in its own way, but she didn’t speak Inuyasha. He might have meant it as, ‘of course.’ or just as equally as an ‘of course not’. Heck, he might have even meant it as, ‘who cares?’ which might have been fair, but if they were getting close she would need to start picking herbs to barter for a room and some other very important things.

But he wasn’t going to explain what he meant. She shook her head and leaned back, her arms propping her up from behind, and closed her eyes. The sunlight was sneaking through in small patches and she could feel it dancing upon her cheeks. It was so warm and she loved the feel of it.

It really didn’t matter to him. She would start gathering herbs, anyway. It wouldn’t hurt. After a bit longer to rest, she pulled her long skirt up and tied it around her waist to make a pocket. It was usually frowned upon in her village since now she was showing her legs, but she couldn’t very well carry the herbs for the next several hours, or she wouldn't be able to pick them. She needed her hands free.

She walked ahead of Inuyasha and decided she should stop asking questions. He seemed to be sulking since the last one. She gathered as many rare herbs as she could find, and the few that weren’t ready she hummed to until they were and plucked them gently so as not to damage the plant itself. It did no good to prevent the plant from growing back. 

Inuyasha on the other hand couldn't stop staring at her long, muscular, pale legs. He had never seen a woman’s legs before, and for some reason hers seemed better than he had ever imagined. He had never spent time with a woman like this, or any other way for that matter. He was a hanyou. Even as powerful as he was, demon females were uninterested, and human females assumed he was a demon and were terrified of him. But this woman, she argued with him, and spoke to him like an equal. And here she was pulling her damn skirt up so high he could see above her knees! It wasn’t right! And he couldn't figure out why!

He felt his cheeks flush as he started having thoughts. He imagined her pushed against a tree and those long legs wrapped around him. He imagined her moaning his name, and he knew he was in trouble. The spell she cast on him was starting to get worse. He was gonna have to make up his mind, and soon. He couldn't give her much longer. Or her magic was going to swallow him whole.

Kagome had a skirt full of herbs and several pieces of rare fruit. Those would easily be bartered for a room and some supplies. She knew she had to get things ready. She had lost her home and everything else. It was not going to be easy to live in the woods, but she needed some things. Like a pot, and at least a couple clay bowls. Maybe even some cloth to make some new clothes. She was tired of wearing the same outfit. 

They did not make it to the village by nightfall. He found a safe place for her to sleep and she laid down on some soft moss again. They ate a small meal of fruit and berries and afterwards Inuyasha leapt into the tree above her and said he’d ‘keep a lookout.’ She was asleep in minutes and grateful for the break.

Inuyasha was watching her sleep. He couldn’t turn his brain off. He was lost in his thoughts when a loud howl pierced the night and snapped him from his daze. In an instant he was down in front of her, growling at the demon who dared approach his witch.

A whirlwind appeared, and a tall demon with long brown hair and pointed ears appeared. He was wearing brown fur around his waist and had armor covering his chest. Inuyasha knew him instantly. Kouga of the Wolf Demon Tribe.

“Hey, ain’t you Inuyasha? I thought your brother had you set up with a cushy summoning gig. What in the hell are ya doing here, mutt?”

Inuyasha kept his body blocking the young girl on the ground. By the change in her breathing, she was now wide awake. 

“I needed a vacation. Ya know, have to leave the infernal plane every once in a while. It gets boring. Now, what brings you here, ya mangy wolf?”

Kouga smiled deviously, “I heard there’s a powerful witch, and I plan to eat her. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would ya? I mean, seeing as how ya can’t actually leave that plane without being summoned. And as I hear tell of it, your brother is awful protective, so he made it extremely difficult to actually successfully summon you. So, it makes sense that the witch I’m looking for could summon you, although it’s unlikely that she would want to. I mean, who wants to summon a half-breed?”

The growl left Inuyasha’s throat and a small gasp sounded behind him. Fuck. Kouga glanced towards the tree behind him and he knew the bastard had heard her. This was going to be a fucking nightmare! He couldn't leave her side or else Kouga’s lackeys would grab her, but he couldn't fight Kouga while holding onto the damn dumb witch.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters.
> 
> I am so sorry for the unexpected hiatus. I needed some down-time. I promise I will never just abandon a story, sometimes things in life get the better of me though and I need some time away from everything.
> 
> Lastly, if you would like to listen to the spell song here it is:  
> clyp.it/za3lxmz5

“Kagome, I need ya to sing something. I need ya to protect yourself. I’ll be here, but I can’t do it all. Ya hear me? Focus and get ready.”

Her words started pouring forth before he could move and as he leapt forward to strike, he hit an invisible wall. Kouga hit the same invisible wall, but from that side it seemed to do a fuck ton more damage. The mangy wolf was thrown back a good 30 feet and only stopped because he collided hard with a big tree. The sickening sound of his head slamming into the trunk was only made worse by the blood that was left in a near perfect circle as he slid to the ground.

Kagome gasped, but she picked up her song quickly. After she ran out of lyrics, she started them over. Inuyasha was trapped in here with her, but it seemed the barrier wouldn’t hurt them from the inside. This time as she sang, he listened to her words.

“The air turns thick around me  
Your intentions are crystal clear.  
I feel the malice your heart contains  
I cannot let you draw near

This light shines forth from my heart  
To offer protection to those  
That are hurt, afraid, or in danger  
My power will stop our foes.

So, if you are here to do harm  
To attack those who cannot defend  
My inner light will guard them  
Keep us safe until the end“

Fuck, had she done this before? Or were her powers really that instinctual? He’d never seen anyone throw up a barrier without proper training, but it seemed she was no ordinary witch. Unfortunately, it seemed others were figuring that out just as quickly. He was gonna have to find a better way to protect her. Or he was gonna have to make up his damn mind and eat her like he originally planned. But something in him seemed to be rejecting that idea. He was starting to think it was the same fucking part, imagining her pressed against the tree while his lips dragged across her flesh. He really needed to stop thinking those thoughts.

He glanced over at her and she was no longer singing. Her voice hadn’t stopped though, she continued to hum. The spell remained. Kouga was unconscious and his lackeys had rushed over and lifted him up to carry him away. Not before some half-assed vow of coming for them both, but he didn’t care. Obviously she could protect herself and he could easily take out the wolf shit. First, he needed to get her somewhere safe.

He looked around and he couldn’t sense anyone else near. He stepped up slowly, as it seemed she wasn’t aware of what was going on completely. He wrapped his arms around her and leapt into the tree. At the sudden movement, her humming stopped and her arms wrapped around his neck.

“Inuyasha! What are you doing?!” Her eyes were pinched closed, and she was holding onto him like she was afraid for her life. They were barely twenty feet off the ground. 

“Keh, calm down, I ain’t gonna drop ya. I didn’t want to leave you in such a vulnerable spot. We might need to actually move somewhere else now that the wolf shit knows he’s looking for ya. But I wanted to make sure ya hadn’t exhausted yourself after your little spell.”

Her arms didn’t loosen, but her eyes peeked open for a second. Then she let out a tiny ‘eep’ and somehow fucking gripped him tighter, and pressed her face into his chest. The dumb witch was afraid of heights. He sat down on a large branch and draped her legs over one of his thighs so she was nestled in his lap.

“I already said I wasn’t gonna drop ya, but if ya keep choking me and I pass out, then I definitely won’t be able to help it, ya know.”

Her grip released infinitesimally. But he let out a chuckle. Her head remained pressed into his sternum, but her voice still rang out, “Stop laughing at me! I can’t help it. I hate heights.” She pushed her head harder into his chest and he could smell her tears.

Fuck, her powers were too strong. His arms wrapped tighter around her and pulled her into him. “Hey, I promise you’re okay. I ain’t gonna drop ya. I just want to wait until the damn youkai is gone and we can get down.”

He felt her sniffle against him, but her sobs stopped.

“When I was little, I was chased by a group of bandits. I climbed up a tree to hide. But when I was trying to climb down, I fell and broke my arm.”

“Hey, you’re not gonna fall and get hurt today. I’ll keep you safe. Here, feel my arms around ya? I’m not gonna let go. Just turn here a bit. I’ve got you. I promise.”

She let out a little gasp, and she let him readjust her so she was sitting across his lap. Her arms loosened around him, and she turned her head a bit so she could breathe and left her ear against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart and trying to match her breaths with his. She could feel her heart pounding erratically in her own chest and she needed it to slow down. His one hand rubbed up and down her back and she felt herself calming down, and her eyes closed. Maybe as long as she was in his arms, she didn’t have to be so afraid.  
Inuyasha waited for her to calm down, and by then the smell of the wolf shit had gone away. His hand rubbed up and down her back, trying to comfort her, and as her breathing evened out, he figured it was working enough. Her heart wasn’t pounding anymore, which was at least a good sign. He glanced down and her eyes were roaming everywhere, as if searching for any danger.

“I think he’s gone, but I want to give it a few more minutes just to be sure. Are you okay now?”

She nodded against his chest and it felt like a nuzzle. His eyes bugged a little until he got his stupid brain to calm down. She wasn’t trying to be affectionate. Even if the animalistic part of him wanted to believe it. He took a deep breath and tried to remember that there was a vicious asshole out there who wanted to eat the young woman in his arms. It was more important to keep her safe, not to mention if anyone was going to eat her heart it was going to be him.

He shifted a bit on the branch to appease the tension in his one calf and she squeaked and clutched onto him tightly again. This time grabbing his shirt and fisting it, as if she was about to plummet to her death.

“Keh, I just had to adjust my leg. I told ya I wasn't gonna drop ya.” This time her eyes looked up at him and the fear swimming in those blue depths took his breath away. He pulled her up against him and dropped to the ground. He could feel her push her face into his chest and heard her breath hitch before she held it in, as if trying not to scream. He set her down on the ground safely and stepped away. He needed to be away from this witch. She was weaving a spell over him and he didn't like it. He took a deep sniff and he could tell a village was close.

He began walking, and she rushed after him. After a while, he told her they’d be in the village soon and she began to start searching the ground again.The sun was starting to rise already. It didn’t take her long to start picking plants and stowing them in her skirt that was still tied up and revealing her legs. Those legs he just had draped over his own. He was amazed he hadn’t taken the time to drag his claws up and down them. He wanted to feel if they were as soft as they looked. Her flesh there was so pale since it rarely saw any sunlight. Always hidden from sight by the long skirts that were deemed appropriate. But he had definitely enjoyed seeing that stunning flesh. Wanting to touch it, taste it. He held back a groan. He was going to need to break this spell she was weaving.

~~~

Kagome was searching for any medicinal herbs that would sell well in the village. She already had a decent amount of fruit, most of it rather rare for the time of year. She could easily bargain for the few necessities she would need. It wasn’t like she was going to need much. She could take care of herself, couldn't she? Ugh. Yes. She would have to. At least until she was killed by either Inuyasha or one of the others now looking for her. How was she going to protect herself? She was only a young girl. SHe’d never fought anything before. Sure, she’d hunted and fished to help supply food for her family before. But actually fighting against creatures like Inuyasha or that other man, Kouga. But she had managed to stop that Yura. Even though she had Inuyasha incapacitated. Maybe she would be okay. That is, if Inuyasha didn’t eat her soul. That was a big if.

By the time they got to the edge of the forest, Inuyasha let out a growl. She scanned the area, trying to see what he was growling at, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“There’re wards here that won’t let me come with you. They won’t allow me in the village. I don’t like this. I think we should go somewhere else.”

She looked at the sticks in the ground and tried to remove them, but it zapped her as she touched it. She pulled back her hand with a small ‘eep’ and stuck her finger in her mouth to alleviate the sting. She looked at the village and she could see the marketplace from where she stood. It would only take her half an hour to get everything situated, if that. But she needed to get this done. 

“Inuyasha, will you wait here for me? I need to go trade these things and get a few things, then we can go. I just don’t want to have to go without some necessities. Please?”

He barely held back the visceral growl. “You do realize I can’t protect you in there? If something happens to you, I’m gonna destroy this entire fucking village, wards or not.”

Her eyes were wide, and she gave him a soft smile. “I’ll be okay. I won’t be here too long. Just let me trade for a few supplies, and then we can go find somewhere safe to stay.”

She nodded at him, trying to calm his ire, and turned away, figuring the faster she got this over with the further they could get from here. She arrived at the market and found a healer. She bargained for some other things, like an extra pot and two bowls, for several of the rare herbs. The healer was amazed that she had managed to find some of them, saying she had been looking for a long time, and the village would definitely benefit greatly from her precious find.

Then she went to the main food stall and sold some fruit. The man was ecstatic to have the fruit so early in the season. For that she managed to get a few coins. She then used the coins to get some cloth, a mantle to keep her warm, a basket to carry everything in, a small knife and a few other necessities.

She was about to turn around and leave when a guard showed up and stopped in front of her.

“Hey, when did you get here?”

Her eyes were wide, “I just arrived. I was traveling but was attacked by bandits. They managed to steal all of my things, while I hid.” She hoped the lie was convincing enough. She really didn’t know what else to do.

“Really? Because my cousin lives in the next village and said they had a witch ready to be burned at the stake, a few days ago, and she looks a lot like you. So, tell me again where ya came from, and where you were heading?”

Her eyes were wide. They had already sent word about her? Of course, she had been sick for 2 days and that had slowed them down too much. The messengers traveled on horseback. They would have arrived at least a day ago. Even if the road did take a bit longer around the forest. 

“Umm, I am from Shimotsuke and heading towards Kai. It’s a long journey, but I am a traveling healer. Looking for new and rare herbs that don’t grow up in our area. I don’t know anything about a witch.” He knew she was lying. It was obvious with the way he was staring at her. “I actually just sold several of the herbs that grow in my homeland to your healer in exchange for some of the things I lost from the bandits.” Maybe if she was more specific, she could get him to believe her.

Clearly he didn’t. She was going to die, anyway. She should have listened to Inuyasha. She took a deep breath. She needed to get herself out of this immediately. “Look, if you feel uncomfortable because you think I resemble this witch, then I will be on my way. But I am not the one whom you seek. Would you really kill an innocent, because you have a case of mistaken identity? Please, don’t hurt me because you think I am some evil creature. I have only ever helped those that I could. I am not who you believe me to be.” She tried so hard to will him to believe her. When his hand wrapped around her upper arm, she knew she had failed. 

She took a deep breath as he began pulling her away. “We’re just gonna go talk to the headman and see what he says. If you can convince him, this is a case of mistaken identity, then we’ll let you go.” She would not cry, and would not let this man have power over her.

She didn’t struggle, knowing she was no match for his physical power. She would have to outsmart him. She also knew using her powers were out of the question. They already believed her to be a witch, and proving them right would be a terrible idea. Her heart was pounding. She should have listened to Inuyasha. Why had she insisted on coming to this village? Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she inwardly cursed herself. Would Inuyasha make good on his promise to destroy the entire village? He wanted to eat her soul, so of course he wouldn’t let them have her. She tried to figure out how to escape as the guard dragged her toward the center of the village.

Then a young man stepped in front of them, “Sir, thank goodness. You found my sister. We were traveling in the woods, and we separated to try to avoid a group of bandits. I have been looking for her and hoping she came to this village.” Then he faced her fully and smiled wide, “Midoriko, I am so happy to see you. Come now, let’s get back on the road. I know we have a long way to go.”

At this point, the guard let her arm slip and looked very confused. She pulled away slowly so as not to get his attention. And the young man put his arm out for her to take. She took it gratefully, “Onii-san, I still need a few things, but it might be better if we went to the next village. It seems I resemble a fugitive. What a terrible outcome.”

At the word ‘Onii-san’ his smile grew wider, and he seemed to hold back a chuckle, “What a shame a young damsel so pretty could be considered a fugitive. Come, we will indeed stop at the next village. It isn’t far from what I have gleaned from the inhabitants here.” He walked her to the edge of the village and as soon as they were past the wards an angry inu-hanyou was in front of them.


End file.
